I am Indonesian, but I live in New Zealand and my daughter is a New Zealander. So that, it's fair enough for me to consider Kiwi patriotism and nationalism instead of one I have at the moment.
Seeing the current NZ flag, I have impression that it should be similar with one the Australia nation has. There is Union Jack with two stars missing in the Southern Cross. I don't know much about the history of the NZ own patriotism and nationalism. Unlike the USA, what I know they really fought the British Empire with blood and flesh.
However, I understand that the modern patriotism and nationalism don't need blood and flesh to be sacrificed. The modern patriotism and nationalism are much like not denying your existence in how you should react against international event, news, discussion or anything.
Indonesian patriotism and nationalism have been established since the time of the Majapahit Empire on Java in 14th century which captured almost all area in the South East Asia region. The flag is a kind of Jack with nine red-white strips.
Then, such kinds of patriotism and nationalism continued until the Independence Revolution War in 1945 - 1949 when many Indonesian people fought the Allies for their intention to help the Dutch to rule back Indonesia after the Declaration of Independence of Indonesia in 1945.
The Indonesian flag is simple and meaningful. It's only one red-white strip with 2:3 ratio. Red means brave and white means honesty. One song lyric says our red blood and white bones showing emphaty between the Indonesian people with their national flag.
In NZ case, most of New Zealanders also really want to show their emphaty with their beautiful land and nature in the new NZ flag. New Zealand is well known as a peaceful country with non-arrogant and non-patronising people, low crime rate, clean environment, beautiful nature and no-snake bush.
It's the time to show NZ own identity as a great nation and mature state. If someone asks me which flag I like, I would say the red-blue one with the silver fern in the border and southern cross in the blue side. It's colourful and meaningful.
Current New Zealand Flag - strongly recommended new flag
Indonesian flag (current) - Indonesian Jack (14th century)
The flag I like
New Zealand Flag - the new one
Posted by
Anymatters
29 January 2005
4 comments:
Your pick is not too bad as a design, but is a bit fussy for my taste, containing several elements vs. the simple iconography of the Silver Fern - which is more akin to the simple design of the Swiss, Japanese, Indonesian, etc. flags. Besides, the red white and blue screams a little too loudly "But we are British, really!" Or American? ;-)
Or maybe I can only see things in Black and White...
Posted by Bruce
Happyyyy Thanksgiving!!!!
I like it. I don't think we need t get annoyed about other nations who also have this colour scheme. Besides the ideology around a flag that unites people from all various view points is one i can support. I do think that the fern is too complicated and can be simplified surely. The union jack was difficult enough to try and draw at Primary School :D
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